


Truth

by TaleaCorven



Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Blood, Denial, Depression, Divorce, Illnesses, Implied Suicide Attempt, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Kissing, M/M, Non-Explicit Sex, Self-Harm, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-25
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-08-27 00:08:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8379796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaleaCorven/pseuds/TaleaCorven
Summary: When Beulah leaves him, Heath realizes his whole life has been a lie. Can he recover from the shock or will he completely drown in darkness? Is anybody there to save him or has he hurt too many people in the past?





	1. The beginning of the end?

**Author's Note:**

> Canon compliant until August 16, 2016 when Heath Slater beat Randy Orton via DQ but couldn't sign his SmackDown contract.
> 
> Maybe Beulah is a little bit out of character.
> 
> Update: I wrote a [prequel](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8568697).

It was Wednesday afternoon when Heath reached his home. After the beating by Lesnar and Orton the doctors had not allowed him to drive the evening before. He could understand it; he had confused Daniel with Mick and Shane with Steph. So he had taken a taxi to the hotel and had just tried to recover from the night, although that had not been easy with all the worries on his mind. Would he ever be able to get a contract after he had messed up again?

When he arrived at his trailer, he knew something was wrong. It was way too quiet, and he couldn't even see one of his kids. The trailer was locked. Had they all gone out? That was unusual. He went inside and found a note on the table: _"I'm sorry, Heath. I left. I couldn't take it anymore. I took the kids with me, and we're staying with my parents for now. Beulah"_

Heath sat down. He couldn't believe it. Was that really true? Maybe this was just a nightmare... It took about an hour before he finally comprehended what the words on the paper really meant. His whole life crumbled right before his eyes; he had lost everything now. There was nothing to fight for anymore... He got up and took a bottle of whiskey out of the cupboard. He didn't even care about a glass and just started to drink straight from the bottle.

Music - that was what he needed right now. He put on his headphones and started a random playlist from his phone. Maybe this was all his own fault. He had cheated on his wife; he couldn't deny that - although he had tried to all those years. He had been faithful for a very long time. It had all started when he was 15. There had been a party and he had gotten drunk, and somehow he had ended up in bed with Beulah. She had gotten pregnant and – unlike his own dad – Heath had wanted to be a good father. So he had stayed with her, although he hadn't even been sure if he loved her. Now he was sure he hadn't even known what real love was back then. He'd still been a kid. But he'd stayed with her and the child. Over the years they had gotten more children, and he had always been faithful to her - until he'd been called up to the main roster of the WWE and he'd become a member of Nexus.

It had been Wade who had used him to fight his insomnia. Well, he hadn't really _used_ him. Heath had enjoyed it - even though he'd had a bad conscience. But he'd told himself he hadn't really cheated on Beulah. It had been something like _doing-a-friend-a-favor,_ and it hadn't lasted very long. Then Wade had asked him to share his room with Justin because he'd thought it would bond their tag team together – and he had been more than right about that! Somehow it had seemed more serious with Justin, and they had stayed together for about one year. But Heath had still been convinced that it had just been something like _consoling-each-other-in-lonely-nights,_ not an affair or even more!

 

* * *

 

While he continued to get more and more drunk and lost in thoughts, sometime in the evening he passed out. When he woke up again, it was dark. It seemed like he was in his bed. His head hurt and for some reason his arms also felt strange. He switched on the lights and was in shock. There was dried blood everywhere! Panic set in; he turned his head around so quickly that it made him sick to his stomach. Then he noticed the bloody razor blade on his nightstand. Slowly, he lowered his head and saw the cuts on his wrists. The nausea became unbearable and he rushed to the bathroom. He barely made it to the toilet in time and started to vomit.

What had happened? He couldn't remember anything. That had not been him, right? He would never do anything like that! Maybe someone else had sneaked into the trailer and had done that to him? No, that was a ridiculous thought. Still, he went to inspect the door. It was locked, and the windows were closed. He returned to the bathroom to clean his arms and check the wounds. The cuts were spread without precise direction, in different sizes and depths. There was no doubt; it was the work of a drunk. For a moment he wondered if the deeper ones needed stitches, but he couldn't go to a doctor with it anyway. Nobody should know about this!

His head hurt again. So he took some painkillers. After a shower, he bandaged his arms. He had to keep his head on straight. So he was relieved when he found out that there were still three cans of energy drink in the fridge, and he started to drink the first one. Then he grabbed the sheets, the razor blade and everything else that was bloody and stuffed it into a garbage bag. He had to get rid of the evidence. When he was sure everything looked like nothing had happened before – except for his arms under the bandages – he sank down on his bed, exhausted, and fell asleep again.

Some hours later he got up again. At first he thought that the events from last night had just been a nightmare, but then he saw the bandages and it became a painful truth. He put on a long-sleeved T-shirt and tried to ignore it anyway. After all he was an expert in denial.

 


	2. Beulah

After the breakfast, Heath's cell phone rang. When he saw the name on the display, he hesitated for a moment before he picked up. It was Beulah.

"Hey," he greeted her.

"Hey, um... I'm sorry that I just left. I know I should have talked to you face-to-face. But I didn't want to involve our kids in it. And when I found _that,_ I just couldn't stay."

_That?_ What did she mean by that? Heath's thoughts were racing. He didn't know what she was talking about.

Since he didn't answer, she continued, "Can we meet? Are you at home? I could be there in about an hour."

"Okay," was the only thing he could say.

Nervously, he wandered up and down for a while. Then he decided to replace his bandages with tape. If she asked about it, he would just say that it was for training or something was wrong with his wrists – which actually wasn't even a lie.

Beulah arrived punctually. She also looked nervous. They sat down at a table, and Heath asked about their kids.

"They are okay," she said, which was probably not true because after all their parents were about to get divorced. But then she added, "They are strong, you know that."

Heath nodded; she was right about that.

Suddenly her face darkened. "I knew it. I mean, the first time I had a suspicion was when I watched you and Justin on TV. You were in love with him, right? The way you looked at him - you've never looked at me like that."

Heath stared at her in confusion. In love? No way! Although... Justin had said _'I love you'_ to him. But Heath had always thought he'd just meant it as a friend. He had replied to him the same way – as a friend. Had he broken Justin's heart without even realizing it? Had that been the reason why the other man had left the WWE? Left him?

"I didn't leave you because you've lost your job, Heath," Beulah continued when she didn't get an answer from her husband. "I left because you've cheated on me. You don't love me anymore, do you? You've barely even touched me in the last few months." She made a short pause, watching the horror on Heath's face unfold. "When I cleaned up on Tuesday, I found your old cell phone in your nightstand. The notification light blinked and I thought it could be something important. So I read the messages... or should I say the _love letters_ from your _friend_ Adam?"

Now he remembered! He'd gotten a new phone a few months ago, and he'd actually forgotten to tell Adam his new number. That's why he hadn't heard anything from him in a while!

Heath recalled the scene. He had just wanted to text his new number to Adam. But then some of his kids had gotten into a fight and he'd had to interfere. And then Mary Lou had gotten a nosebleed and he'd had to take care of that. And somehow he'd forgotten to send that text message then. Damn, Adam was probably so angry at him now!

Although Heath still listened to his wife, he also felt guilty towards his old friend. But wait, what had she said? Love letters?!

"I just want to know one thing." Beulah looked wearily at him. "How many? With how many people have you cheated on me?"

Heath lowered his head; he couldn't look into her eyes. "Wade, Justin, Drew, Jinder and Adam."

"Is that all?" she asked.

_Is that all?_   He already felt like a slut after so many names...

"Only men?" she continued. When he nodded, her expression suddenly softened. "Heath, you are gay." She shook her head. "Why don't you realize that?"

Gay? That was ridiculous. He had seven children! He had just had some fun with co-workers and... His thoughts stopped. But what if...? Maybe it was true and he had just refused to accept it. Why had he had to think of his friends every time he'd had sex with his wife? Why had he never been interested in other women? His heart seemed to stand still while he started to acknowledge the fact that his life had been a lie until now.

Beulah got up. "I'm going to contact a lawyer about our divorce." She wanted to leave. But then she saw the look on Heath's face. So she added, "Although you were a bad husband, I know you are a good father. So you can always visit the kids whenever you want to."

"Thanks." He barely managed to get that one word out. But when Beulah reached the door, he jumped up. "Wait! I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was such a bad husband. And I'm sorry I cheated on you and that I've hurt you. I'm just sorry about everything!"

His wife turned around and gave him an understanding nod before she walked out the door.

 


	3. Collapse

Even though Heath just wanted to collapse into the next chair, there was something he couldn't forget again. So he walked to the bedroom and searched for his old cell phone. When he had found it, he sat down on the bed and started to read the messages.

The first ones were just general stuff. Adam asked how he was doing and said that he missed him. Then it got... weirder? His friend apologized that he had left him alone in the WWE and told him again how much he missed him and their nights together and... Okay, then there was some sexual content, and Heath understood why his wife had been so sure about his cheating and why she had been so angry when she had read it. There wasn't really a way to misinterpret sentences like _'I miss sucking your cock until you come in my mouth',_ was there?

He read the newest mail: _"I still love you, Heathy baby."_ Okay, that was too much. All of this was so overwhelming, he just couldn't deal with it. Not now when there was already so much chaos in his head. Not now when his world was already shattered.

He put the phone on the nightstand and closed his eyes. There had to be something, just anything to keep him from losing his mind. His job! Yes, if his private life was lost, he could still fight for a RAW or SmackDown contract. He knew there would be a house show tomorrow, and he was going to be there!

 

* * *

 

Fortunately, the security at the house show was lax. So it wasn't a big problem for Heath to sneak into the backstage area. He had read that his friend Bo Dallas was booked for a handicap match because Curtis Axel couldn't be here today. That was his chance! He was going to become Bo's tag team partner and show everyone how good he was and that he deserved a contract!

Although... he didn't feel very good - or to be precise, he'd felt pretty bad for a while now. At first he had thought it was because of his emotional state. But somehow he felt shivery and dizzy now; his heart was beating fast. Anyway, he couldn't back down now!

They were standing behind the curtain, waiting for their music to start. Bo smiled at him. "Thank you, Heath!"

"S-Sure," Heath stammered.

"Are you alright?" Bo looked worried. But Heath couldn't see that; his vision had become blurry and he was barely able to stand on his own feet. Somehow he managed to nod, and they started to walk to the ring. However, Heath never reached it because he collapsed after a few steps.

 

* * *

 

When Heath woke up, he was lying in a hospital bed. He looked around. There were bandages around his arms - no more tape, bandages! They had seen it!

"You're awake!" It was Bo who was sitting in a chair next to him and now jumped up to hug his friend so cautiously as if Heath was made of glass. His eyes were red; he had cried. "Wait a second. I'll get the doctor!" And with that, Bo rushed out of the room. When he opened the door, Heath could see Daniel Bryan in the corridor talking to a doctor. Bo said something to them and they both walked into Heath's room, leaving the other Outcast behind in the hall.

While Daniel waited near the door, the doctor came to the bed. "Mr. Slater, how do you feel?" Heath shrugged; he wasn't sure what to say. So the other man continued, "You had blood poisoning. One of your cuts..." He pointed to Heath's arms. "...got infected. It was very dangerous, but we were able to save you. We'll give you antibiotics for now, and you should be able to leave in two or three days, depending on your condition." He made a short pause before he gestured towards the bandages again. "But you have to talk to our psychologist first. She will visit you later."

"That's not necessary. It was an accident. I was drunk, and I won't do anything like that again!" Heath made sure to also look at Bryan while he said that.

The Doctor didn't seem impressed; he probably heard stories like that all the time. "You should talk with her about it," he repeated and then left.

Daniel came closer and sat down on the chair. "Hey... um, do you wanna talk about it?" Heath shook his head and Daniel understood. "If you change your mind, just call me, okay? No matter what day or time."

"Thanks!" Heath smiled at him weakly.

"When I tried to contact Beulah, she told me about your upcoming divorce. So I decided not to tell her what had happened. For now, only me and Bo know the truth. He insisted on accompanying you in the ambulance." There was a small smile on Daniel's lips and Heath had to chuckle. He could imagine what trouble his friend had made.

Bryan continued, "The hospital has to inform the McMahons, but the official statement will be that you just had a fever, okay?"

Heath was relieved. "Yeah, thank you!"

"You will have a week off. But the week after that you will have a match on SmackDown. I know you have a lot of talent and you've been treated unfairly! Your opponent will be a weak local competitor. If you beat him, you'll get a contract. This time I'll make sure Shane won't mess with you again!"

The ginger was so happy that he didn't know what to say. So he just repeated, "Thank you!"

Daniel smiled and stood up. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Heath shook his head.

"Okay, then get well soon!" Daniel said and walked to the door. When he opened it, Heath could see Bo waving at him with a worried look on his face. But Bryan closed the door and pulled him away.

 


	4. Justin

Heath was alone again. He looked out of the window and realized that the sun was already shining. He'd obviously slept all night. On the nightstand he found his cell phone; so he took it and checked his messages. Some of the other wrestlers who had been at the house show asked about his condition and what had happened. After a moment, he decided to tweet that he just had a fever and that he was in the hospital and okay now. He breathed out, put the phone down and closed his eyes. It felt like a weight off his shoulders.

Later that day the psychologist came, and Heath could convince her that his actions had been a _one-time-only-thing_   and that he didn't have a death wish. Fortunately, she wasn't a WWE fan and didn't know that he had stepped in the ring with Lesnar and Orton. So she just left him some phone numbers and flyers in case he changed his mind.

There were not a lot of options for Heath to keep himself busy and _not_ think too much. He watched TV and scrolled through his phone when it suddenly rang. It was Justin. "Hey, I just read your tweet and wanted to check if you are really okay."

Heath tensed up. He hadn't talked to his friend on the phone for months. It was strange to hear his voice. And of course he remembered his conversation with Beulah. "Hey, um, yeah, thanks. Don't worry." He tried to sound casual.

"Jeez, you can't have a match when you have a fever. You should take better care of yourself."

"You're one to talk!"

"Haha, well, I guess you have a point there."

"So, um, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine, busy, enjoying life. The usual stuff."

"Justin... can we maybe... can we meet soon? There is something I would like to talk to you about."

He could hear a little sigh at the other end of the phone, although he probably wasn't supposed to. Then Justin asked, "Are you still in the hospital?"

"Yeah, I'll be discharged in two or three days."

_Three days because of a fever?_   That seemed strange to Justin. Was Heath lying to him? Then again, not everyone had wolf healing powers like he did. "I'm going to be around New York on Thursday. We could meet there," he suggested.

"Great!" Heath said. "I'll be there."

 

* * *

 

The next day Heath couldn't avoid it any longer. He couldn't stop thinking about him all the time. So he went to Adam's Facebook page and started to type a message. _"I'm sorry. I got a new phone a few months ago and I forgot to tell you my number."_   No. That sounded horrible, like he was the worst friend ever. Maybe he was... He deleted the text before he could send it and started again. _"Hey, how are you? I got a new phone a while ago and I haven't given you my number yet."_

As soon as he had sent the message, he already regretted it. That sounded like he hadn't given him his number on purpose, didn't it? He could still delete the message before Adam read it... While he was thinking about that option, he already got an answer. _"Hey, I'm fine, thanks! Do you still have a temperature?"_

So Adam had read his tweet... _"I'm better, thanks!"_   Heath became nervous. It was strange to communicate with his old friend again after all this time. What was Adam thinking about him now?

_"That's good to hear,"_ Adam answered. After a short pause he added, _"Have you read my text messages? I'm sorry if I bothered you. I wrote most of it when I was drunk."_

Heath gasped. _He had been drunk._ So he hadn't been serious about it. Although Heath knew he should be relieved - why did it make him so sad? After a moment he replied, _"I read them a few days ago."_

There was another pause. Then Adam asked, _"Can I have your new number?"_

Heath hesitated. If he gave him his number now, Adam would probably call him. He wasn't sure if he could take it right now, hearing his voice. That voice that was linked with so many memories. Before he could make a decision, he got another message. _"I promise I won't call you. It's... just in case."_

_Great!_   If he sent him his number now, Adam would think he only did it because of that promise... He did it anyway. A moment later he got a text message. _"just a test :)"_

Heath smiled and answered, _"It worked! :D"_

 

* * *

 

Heath's physical condition was stable enough that he was allowed to go home on Monday – although he still had to take antibiotics for the next few days. For the rest of the day he just recovered and did some housework. It felt good to be home again, even if he was alone. But like every normal person he hated hospitals.

On Tuesday and Wednesday Heath met his children and tried to explain to them why he and their mom couldn't stay together. He also made sure to tell them that it wasn't their fault and that he still loved all of them. Even though he wished he could do more with them than just a picnic, he knew he couldn't afford something expensive like a visit to the zoo at the moment. At least the younger ones seemed to enjoy nature. Although Heath was wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt, he had also swapped his bandages for tape again, just to make sure. However, nobody asked him about it anyway.

Then it was Thursday. He met Justin in a cafe in Manhattan. They said hello to each other, hugged briefly and sat down at a table. Heath couldn't deny that the other man still made him nervous. He felt his heart beating faster. Maybe it was because they hadn't met for such a long time.

"How are you?" Justin asked.

"Fine, thanks!" Heath smiled.

But the other man looked serious. "I've heard about you and Beulah..."

Right. The dirt sheets had found out about their breakup and had spread the news. Fortunately, Beulah hadn't told anyone about the true reasons.

"It was the right thing to do. We don't love each other anymore," Heath explained. "It's okay. I can see the kids whenever I want to."

Justin seemed relieved. Then he suddenly pointed to Heath's tape. "You already train again?"

"Yeah, just some light exercises," Heath lied.

After some small talk Heath said, "When I discussed some things with Beulah, I actually realized that... I may have hurt you in the past."

"You _may?"_ Justin seemed angry. "Heath, if this is about getting another chance..."

"No! I just wanted to apologize. I was an idiot. I'm really sorry if I hurt you. I didn't know it back then."

Somehow Justin still looked a bit annoyed, but he answered, "That was long ago. It's okay."

They were silent for a moment. Then Heath asked, "So, is it Johnny or Jack?"

Justin blushed and averted his eyes. "Actually, both of them." But then he looked back at him and added, "But it's nothing serious. We're more like _friends with benefits._ Like you and 3MB were."

Heath swallowed hard. "You knew about Drew and Jinder?"

"It was pretty obvious." Justin chuckled.

However, Heath was in a little panic. "Was it?"

"Maybe it was only because I knew you so well." His friend tried to calm him down.

_Knew._ It sounded like Heath was just someone from Justin's past life. He couldn't bear the conversation anymore. "I... I'm going to have a match at a house show tomorrow," he lied. "So, I'm sorry, but I gotta go now."

The other man seemed to believe him. "Okay." Justin smiled at him. "It was nice to see you again."

"Yeah." Heath smiled back, although he didn't feel like it.

When he was at home again later that day, he felt worse than before.

 


	5. Adam

Heath spent the next few days with his kids and training. He had to get ready. On Tuesday at SmackDown he had the match Daniel had promised him. It didn't take him long to beat the local competitor, and he could sign his contract on the same evening. Shane looked a bit pissed, but Daniel granted him an encouraging smile. For a moment Heath was really happy. He finally did it! But when he was back in his hotel room, he realized there was no one to celebrate with. Bo and Curtis congratulated him via text message. But they were far away.

He lay on his bed and suddenly felt very lonely. Then he remembered there was someone he could call. So he dialed Adam's number.

"Heathy baby, congratulations! I've watched SmackDown. You were great!"

As soon as Heath heard his voice, he felt warm inside. Adam sounded so genuine, unlike some of his SmackDown co-workers who had just seemed to congratulate him because they'd felt obliged to do so. "Thank you!" he answered. "How are you doing?"

"Great as always. But..." Adam made a short pause. "What happened to you and Beulah?"

_Of course he'd heard about it, too._ Heath told him the same he'd told Justin.

"I see." Adam almost sounded a bit sad. "If there is anything I can do for you..."

"Do you... um... think we can meet sometime?" Heath asked insecurely.

"Sure." There was no hesitation or sigh. "When do you have time?"

"I'm usually free on Wednesdays and Thursdays."

"Great. I'll have a day off the day after tomorrow... Or is that too soon?"

"No, that's good. Where are you going to be?"

"I... um... can I visit you at home? I think it's closer to me."

"Oh, okay. I'll text you my address."

There was a short pause. "Heath, can I maybe stay overnight?" The ginger swallowed, but Adam explained, "I can't be there before Thursday evening, and it's a pretty long drive..."

"It's okay. Don't worry. There is enough space," Heath interrupted him.

"Great, I'm looking forward to it!"

Heath could hear Adam's happiness and realized their phone call would be over soon. Then he would be alone again. Alone in the darkness with his thoughts. So he quickly said, "Hey, um, can we maybe continue to talk for a while?" The idea had sounded good in his head, but when the words actually left his mouth, he realized how stupid it was. Before Adam could reply, he added, "Nah, just kidding. Good night!"

"Oh, okay. Good night."

When Heath hung up the phone, he cursed himself. He had been able to hear Adam's disappointment in his voice. Had he just pissed off one of his last remaining friends?

 

* * *

 

It was still warm on Thursday. Heath was sitting in a chair in front of his trailer and tried to enjoy the sun. He knew Adam was going to arrive soon, and he was excited. But he was also worried. What if their meeting would end the way his meeting with Justin had ended? What if Adam would get annoyed or bored and would leave?

After a while, he could see the car of his friend. He stood up, put his sunglasses away and walked toward him with a smile. Adam got out of the car and greeted him. Heath also said hello. But when Adam got his bag from the back seat and came closer, the ginger suddenly stopped. Of course he'd seen photos before, but to see him now in person was different. He'd loved Adam's beautiful long hair, and now it was just gone.

When Adam also stopped and cocked his head questioningly, Heath said, "You look weird without your hair."

"Weird?" Adam pouted. "You don't like it?"

"I will get used to it." Heath smiled at him.

Adam smiled back, but Heath could see in his eyes that he restrained himself. It seemed like he wanted to say and do so much more but didn't dare to. He stepped forward and stopped again. He lifted his arms, only to put them down again. His mouth opened, but no words came out. Then he suddenly jumped forward and hugged Heath tightly. "I've missed you so much!" But after a few seconds he already stepped back. "I'm... I'm sorry."

Heath couldn't take it anymore. "Stop saying that! You've done nothing wrong. I got a new phone a few months ago and I forgot to tell you my number. You should be angry at me."

"I could never be angry at you," Adam said with a soft voice. "I know you're a busy man. It wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it was and I'm really sorry!" Heath stepped forward and hugged him again. "I've missed you, too."

They entered the trailer, and Heath asked Adam what he wanted to drink.

"Do you have beer?"

The ginger handed him a bottle and a glass and took an energy drink for himself. Heath hadn't drunk alcohol since the incident, and at the moment he wasn't sure if he would ever drink it again. He already became sick from the smell.

They sat down on the sofa next to each other and started to watch TV. After a while, Adam came closer and put his arm over Heath's shoulders. When the ginger looked at him, Adam tried to kiss him. But Heath turned his head away and looked down. "You said you weren't serious..."

Adam was shocked. "What? I've never said anything like that."

"You said you were drunk..."

"I _was_ drunk." Adam sighed. "But my feelings have never changed." He placed his hand on Heath's chin and smoothly turned his head to look into his eyes. "I love you."

That made Heath's heart melt. Suddenly he felt warm and fuzzy inside. Was this just a dream? He leaned forward and kissed Adam. It seemed like the other man had just waited for this. He reciprocated the kiss wildly and tried to push his friend down on the sofa. But the ginger stopped him. "Let's go to the bedroom."

Adam had no reason to object. So he followed him, holding hands like he feared Heath could change his mind if they lost physical contact. They started to strip each other in front of the bed. However, Adam stopped after he'd dropped Heath's shirt to the floor. "You're still wearing your tape," he said, surprised, and tried to remove it.

But Heath stopped him. "I've sprained my wrists when I collapsed."

This lie seemed to convince Adam who looked a bit worried and then placed some soft kisses on Heath's hands, arms and the tape - as if they would heal him.

A little later, they were lying on the bed and caressed each other. All of Heath's five senses were spoiled by his friend. When he looked into Adam's big bright eyes, it felt like looking into a vast ocean. Adam smelled like a foreign country, mysterious and exotic, but also like home. Heath ran his fingers over the skin of the other man. He'd gained muscle mass. Did he...? Heath stopped. No, Adam wouldn't ruin his health with roids, would he?

"Are you okay?" There it was. That raspy, unique voice that was so full of love, it made him shiver – in a good way. He could listen to him all day.

The ginger nodded and pulled him into a deep kiss. His taste, maybe that was the best about Adam. He always tasted like cherries. Of course that was only Heath's imagination. Right before their very first kiss, Adam had licked a cherry-flavored lollipop. Now Heath remembered it every time they kissed.

It was wonderful to feel Adam inside of him. The older man rocked him so gently. Heath felt like lying on clouds, and when he came it was like a white flower bloomed on his belly - a rose without thorns.

He pressed himself against the warm body behind him. He wasn't sure if he'd ever felt this loved before in his life. Adam's strong arm clasped around his waist, and Heath heard him mumble a _'good night'_ before he drifted off to sleep.

 


	6. Decision

When Heath woke up the next morning, Adam was still asleep. So the ginger cautiously left the bed and walked to the bathroom. Still a bit sleepy, he enjoyed the warm water of the shower flowing down his body - until he suddenly sensed a presence. Damn, he'd forgotten to lock the door! Before he could do anything, Adam joined him under the shower. He wrapped his arms around Heath and pressed his lips on him.

Heath tried to hide his arms, but it was useless. The other man grabbed his hands and stared at the scars. He was shocked. "Heathy baby..." His voice was wobbly, and Heath wasn't sure if he cried or if it was the water from the shower that ran down his face. Although Adam had so many questions and wanted to tell him so many things, he knew nothing of that would help Heath right now. So he didn't say anything. Instead, he leaned his forehead against Heath's temple and hugged him fondly.

For a while, they just stood there in silence. Then the ginger turned off the tap and said, "Let's have breakfast."

 

* * *

 

They barely talked while eating. Nevertheless, the atmosphere was not awkward. Heath even thought that it was peaceful and calming. Was he in denial again? He didn't really care at the moment, he just wanted to enjoy his time with Adam before he had to leave.

Then the time had come. Before they left the trailer, Adam hugged his friend. "I wish we could always be together like this."

"That's not possible."

"I know. But..." Adam hesitated. "Maybe we can meet every time we both have a day off?"

The ginger took a step back and looked at him questioningly. "Are you suggesting a long-distance relationship?"

"Yes! I'd rather see you only a few days a month than never," Adam confessed.

Heath sighed. "How many people have you slept with since you left the WWE?"

"No one else. I only want you."

Heath was surprised. He'd always thought Adam was somehow addicted to sex. He'd also watched some of his indie matches and the way he treated his opponents.

"Well, if you don't count my right hand," the older man added with a smile.

Heath chuckled. "I guess that's okay." After a moment's consideration, he agreed, "We can try."

Adam was so happy, he hugged and kissed him and almost forgot he had to go.

While his friend walked to his car, Heath called out to him, "Hey, Adam..." He turned around and the ginger smiled at him. "I think I've fallen in love with you."

 


End file.
